Russell Brand Quits BBC, Heads To America

by Becky Howard

It’s all over for the goth dandy at the BBC! After what’s being dubbed “Sachsgate” literally dominated the British headlines for a week — and complaints rose to 27,000 — Russell Brand last night dramatically quit his BBC Radio 2 show. Earlier that day, he and fellow presenter Jonathan Ross (whose $29 million deal with the BBC has come under fire) had been suspended pending further enquiries into the incident. It saw them leave lewd messages on 78-year-old actor Andrew Sachs‘ voicemail after Russell bragged about sleeping with his granddaughter Georgina Baillie, a member of burlesque group the Satanic Sluts

“As I only do the radio show to make people laugh I’ve decided that, given the subsequent coverage, I will stop doing the show,” Brand said in a statement. “I got a bit caught up in the moment and forgot that, at the core of the rude comments and silly songs, were the real feelings of a beloved and brilliant comic actor and a very sweet and big-hearted young woman.”

But don’t feel too sorry for him for nobly falling on his sword. “I’m now off to American to make quite a lot of films,” he said, yesterday. Lock up your granddaughters. [Photo: Getty Images]